Of Bugs And Birdies

Generally speaking golfers don't like bugs. At links the mosquitoes and other flying pests can be very annoying, especially in the evenings. Many a golfer has had to back away from a key putt or readdress a shot because of a mosquito buzz bomb attack. Similarly, golfers need to be careful where they sit or lean lest they literally end up with ants in their pants. Ant nests can be found near several tees. If disturbed these nests can boil with activity as scouts and workers seethe to the surface to investigate and drive off unwelcome visitors. The good news is that most of the bugs at Links are benign. They might annoy people with their whiny buzzing and itchy bites, but they won't kill you.  

The same cannot be said of wasps and bees - especially if one is allergic to them. Bees are regular visitors to the course, flitting amongst the clover and dandelions. To our knowledge their are no natural hives on the course but we have had swarming events in the past. One year a massive swarm infested a small tree near the seventh green. Several calls were made to local apiaries but no one seemed to be missing any bees. Eventually the swarm just flew off on its own. Paper wasps and yellow jackets are a different story. Feeding off garbage and empty beverage containers these pests can be vicious. Paper wasps have been known to set up shop under the eaves of the sheds at each tee and near the washrooms and outhouses. These nests are knocked down and destroyed whenever and where ever they are discovered. Yellowjackets are more dangerous, as they make their nests underground in hard to get at locations! They need to be dealt with promptly. If they get a foothold near a teebox they can be particularly dangerous.

If you are using bug spray as a defence against these pests, be aware that insect repellents often contain some pretty potent chemicals. They will do the job but if you apply some repellents to your hands in order to rub them onto your face, ears or legs, be sure to wash them off before you grab your clubs. Ingredients in some bug sprays will destroy your grips and that's sure to bug you too!

Fortunately, the grounds crew has allies in the fight against things that bug golfers. The many bird species that call the course home have voracious appetites, and insects are always on the menu. Magpies, sparrows, robins and swallows all nest at and on the course. The Black Billed magpie is the largest of these species. Considered amongst the most intelligent of birds, magpies are believed to be capable of recognizing individuals and even of holding grudges against persons who harass them. They have been known to dive bomb golfers and seem to delight interrupting back swings or crucial putts with their raucous calls. They are omnivorous and opportunistic eaters, consuming anything and everything from bugs to garbage; whatever is easiest to find.

Next in size are the North American Robins. These feed exclusively on invertebrates and can be found most mornings feasting on the worms that rise to the surface of the greens after they have been watered. The smallest common bird at links is the common House Sparrow. These small brown birds were not originally indigenous to North America. They stowed away on transatlantic ships, and in some cases were introduced by eccentric English immigrants hoping to reproduce the bird songs of Britain in their new Canadian homelands. The herbivorous sparrows subsist on grains and grass seeds and have proven to be so adaptable that they are now amongst the most numerous species in Canada.

It is the smooth flying swallows that have the biggest impact on the course's insect populations. Swallows take their food while in flight, feeding exclusively on mosquitoes and other small winged bugs, Swallows hunt their prey at speeds of up to 50 km an hour and consume nearly their own weight in bugs every day. They are masters of navigation, twisting and turning inches above the grounds surface to several hundred feet in the air. These are the birds that commonly take residence in the bird houses set up around the course to mark the 150 yard distances.  In the mornings they glide effortlessly beside and in front of the greens mower, picking off any bugs taking flight to avoid the spinning reels. Its like having my own personal fleet of fighter support planes.

Any golfer will tell you that birdies are their friends. At Links we agree, though it is feathered friends, rather than sub par scores, that the grounds crew look for and appreciate. Our score cards may regularly bug us, but when it comes to dealing with winged pests, we can count on a birdie on every hole!